Tape cleaner



1935- w. D. McMAHAN 1,987,264

TAPE CLEANER Filed Dec. 19. 1953 1| 4 /J I i l I z Inventor Attorney Patented Jan. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a device for cleaning tapes, such as surveyors field tapes, or tape used to gauge oil tanks, the general object of the invention being to provide a device attached to a part of the supporting frame of the tape reel,

with manually operated means for causing the tape to pass between a pair of resilient jaws which act to clean the tape.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:-

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the invention applied to a tape supporting member.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the movable part of the device.

Figure 3 is a View looking toward the inner face of the stationary part of the device.

As shown in these views, the device includes the elongated stationary part or plate 1 having a fiange 2 at its upper end and a pair of converging jaws 3 at its lower end and a barrel 4 intermediate its ends. The upper part of the plate is formed with an opening 5 so that by removing the handle 6 of the supporting frame '7 of the tape reel 8, the screw which holds the handle in position can be threaded through this hole 5 and then when the handle is put back in place, the member 1 will be held in the position shown in Figure 1.

The movable member is shown at A and includes the substantially U-shaped part 9 having its upper end curving outwardly and receiving between the limbs thereof a part of the member 1 and this portion of the member A is pivoted to the member 1 by a pin 10 which passes through the limbs of the part 9 and through the barrel 4. A finger engaging handle part 11 is formed on the bight of the part 9 and a second U-shaped part 12 has the ends of its limbs formed with the lower end of the part 9, this part 12 having its limbs slightly bowed downwardly with its bight 13 extending beyond the lower end of the part 1. A clamping member 14 is located between the parts of the limbs of the members 9 and 12 where they join each other and hold the base part of a, resilient block 15. A similar block 16 is held between the jaws 3.

As shown in Figure 1, the tape B passes between the limbs of the part 9 and of the part 12 and between the resilient blocks 15 and 16 and by pulling upwardly upon the finger part 11 by the finger of one hand grasping the handle 6, the member A is swung to a position where the block 15 will press the tape against the block 16 so that the two blocks will act to clean the tape as the tape is drawn back upon the reel as the reel is rotated. The weight of the plumb will cause the tape to pull the pads or resilient blocks apart, thus releasing the tape, the tension on the tape being controlled by the fingers holding the tape.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A tape cleaning device comprising a vertically arranged stationary member, a pad supported by said member adjacent its lower end, a substantially U-shaped member including upper and lower limbs, and a part connecting the limbs together, said limbs having openings therein for the passage of the stationary member and of a tape, means for pivotally connecting the upper limb intermediate its ends with an intermediate part of the stationary member, the free end of said upper limb forming a finger-engaging part, and a pad supported by the U-shaped member at the point of junction of the lower limb thereof with the connecting part thereof, said pads extending towards each other for engaging a tape drawn between the pads when the U-shaped member is rocked on its pivot by upward pressure upon the finger-engaging part.

WALKER DUNCAN MCMAHAN. 

